Electric shock speed warning



Oct. 25, 1938. 5 CALDWELL 2,134,028

ELECTRIC SHOCK SPEED WARNING Filed Oct. 5, 1956 IN VENTO'R WTUARTH.CALDWELL A TTORNEYS Patented Oct. 25, 1938 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICSHOCK SPEED WARNING Stuart H. Caldwell, Detroit, Mich., assignor toKelch Heater Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of MichiganApplication October 5, 1936, Serial No. 104,108 8 Claims. (Cl. 177-329)This invention relates generally to motor vehicles and refers moreparticularly to means for indicating to the operator when the rate oftravel of the vehicle exceeds a pre-selected speed.

5 One of the principal objects of the present invention consists in theprovision of means effective when the vehicle exceeds a pre selectedrate of travel to impart a tactual signal to a part of the anatomy ofthe operator indicating that the desired speed is being exceeded. Inaccordance with this invention, the tactual signal merely serves as awarning to the operator that he has exceeded the speed selected byhim'and in no way restricts, or otherwise interferes, with the actuationof the throttle to operate the vehicle throughout its available speedrange.

Another advantageous feature of the present -invention resides in theprovision of an electrically operated signal embodying means forimparting a shock to the operator of sufficient intensity to warn himthat the pre-selected speed is being exceeded, but insufficient tostartle the operator and cause him to become panicky.

A further object of the present invention re- 3 sides in the provisionof a construction wherein the tactual signal is imparted to the operator7 throughout the entire speed range from the particular speed selectedby the operator and wherein the intensity of the tactual signal isincreased in the event the operator fails to heed the warn- In additionto the foregoing, the present invention contemplates a relativelyinexpensive signal capable of being readily applied to motor 3 vehiclesof standard design without altering the construction of the latter. l

The foregoing, as well as other objects, will be made more apparent asthis description proceeds, especially when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a vehicle equipped witha warning device constructed in accordance with this invention;

v Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of theconstruction shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the construction shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the actuating means for the warningsignal;

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the speed indicator with certainparts broken away for the sake of clearness;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the warningequipment;

Figure 7 is a detailed sectional view of another portion of the warningdevice; and

Figure 8 is another detailed sectional View.

In accordance with the present invention, a tactual signal in the formof an electric shock 5 is imparted to the leg of the operator employedto actuate the accelerator of the vehicle when the latter exceeds apre-selected speed. The signal functions to impart a shock to theoperator throughout the available range of speed from the 10 onepre-selected and actually increases the intensity of the shock when thespeed of the vehicle substantially exceeds the one selected. In neithercase, however, is the shock sufficient to startle the operator to suchan extent as to cause confusion.

The above mentioned tactual signal is imparted to the ankle of the footof the operator engaged with the accelerator pedal I0 and comprises aplate ll secured to the toeboard I2 of the vehicle body adjacent theaccelerator pedal. The upper end of the plate is shaped to conform tothe ankle of the operator and is so positioned with respect to theaccelerator pedal ID as to automatically engage the ankle when thecorresponding foot of the operator is engaged with the pedal. A pair ofcontact buttons l3 are secured to the upper end of the plate and arearranged in opposite sides of an electric circuit to be bridged by theankle of the operator. As will be more fully hereinafter set forth, whenthe speed of the vehicle exceeds the one pre-selected by the operator,the circuit is completed through the ankle of the operator bridging thebuttons and a current of relatively small amperage is 5 passed throughthe ankle, indicating to the operator that he has exceeded the desiredrate of travel. It may be pointed out at this time-- that theaccelerator pedal I0 is operatively ccnnected to the throttle I4regulating the flow of fuel mixture to the engine, and this connectionis effected in accordance with conventional practice so that the speedof the vehicle is controlled in the usual manner from the accelerator.

The tactual signal briefly defined above is actuated by a speedometer 15of the fly-ball governor type supported on the instrument panel of thebody in a position to be readily observed by the operator. Thespeedometer is shown in Figure 4 as comprising a casing l6 having a dialI1 secured to the forward end of the casing in any suitable manner andhaving a needle I8 supported in advance of the dial for movement acrossthe face of the same. The needle I8 is secured to the front end of ashaft l9 journalled in the' front wall of the casing and having the rearend operatively connected to a fly-ball governor 20, through the mediumof suitable reduction gearing 2|. The governor 26 is of conventionalconstruction having a shaft 22 journalled in opposite side walls of thecasing and having collars supported on the shaft in axial spacedrelationship for relative movement toward and away from each other. Inthe present instance, the collar 23 is secured to the shaft 22, and theopposed collar 24 is mounted' on the shaft foraxial sliding movementrelative to the collar 23. The two collars are interconnected by meansof weight carrying links 25, and the collar 24 is normally urged in adirection away from the collar 23 by means of a coil spring 26surrounding the shaft 22 between the collars. In accordance withconventional practice, the weight carrying links are arranged in pairshaving their outer ends respectively pivotally connected to the collarsand having their inner ends pivotally connected together through themedium of centrifugal weights 21. The weights 21 move radially outwardlywith respect to the axis of the shaft 22 in dependence upon the speed ofrotation of said shaft and, as the weights are displaced outwardly bythe action of centrifugal force, the collar 24 is moved against theaction of the spring 20 toward the collar 23. As shown in Figure 4, thecollar 24 is operatively connected to the drive gear 28 of the reductiongearing 2| by means of a crank 29 having the crank pin 30 engageable inan annular groove 3| formed in the collar 24. The arrangement is suchthat movement of the collar 24 axially'toward the collar 23, under theinfluence by the weights 21, effects a swinging movement-of the needlel8 over the face of the dial I1 through the medium of the crank 29 andtrain of gearing 2|. The governor shaft 22 is rotated from a selectedpart of the power plant of the vehicle through the medium of aconventional speedometer drive cable 3| operatively connected to a shaft32 journalled in the casing l6 and having a spirally toothed gear 33secured thereto and meshing with correspondingly spiralled teeth on thegovernor shaft 22. Owing to the fact thatthe diameter of the gear 33 issubstantially greater than the tooth portion of the shaft 22, itnecessarily follows that the shaft 22 is rotated at a speed faster thanthe speed of the driving cable, and this practice is desirable in thatit affords greater accuracy in indicating the speeds of the vehicle.

It has previously been stated that the tactual signal II is actuated bythe speedometer l5, and this is accomplished herein without appreciablyaltering the construction of the speedometer unit. As shown in Figure 4,a contact segment 35 is secured tothe indicating needle shaft IQ forrotation therewith as a unit and adapted to engage a contact clip 36secured to a ring 31 of dielectric material rotatably mounted on theforward end of the casing l6 and having teeth on the periphery thereofadapted to mesh with a pinion 38 secured to the control shaft 39. Thecontrolshaft 39 is rotatably journalled on the casing and is so designedas to maintain this engagement throughout continued travel. of theneedle l8 in the direction of the arrow 4|. It will be noted that theforward end of the contact clip 36 terminates in a pointer 42 adapted tooverlap the dial l1 and cooperates with the indicia on the dial to guidethe. operator when selecting the particular speed 'he desires the signalto function. For example, if the operator desires to be warned when thevehicle exceeds fifty miles per hour, the contact clip is adjusted untilthe pointer registers with the numeral 50 on the dial l1. This locatesthe contact clip 36 in a position to be engaged by the leading edge ofthe contact segment when this edge is moved by the needle shaft l9 to aposition wherein it also registers with the numeral 50. As will bepresently described, engagement of the cooperating contacts closes thecircuit to the signal II and the latter imparts a slight shock to theankle of the operator's foot engaged with the accelerator pedal.

The contact segment 35 is grounded through the casing I6 in the mannerindicated by the reference character 45, and the contact clip 36 iselectrically connected to one end of a coil 46 -of a suitable relayhaving the other end connected to a secondary 15 of an induction coil.

The secondary .15 which serves as the source of power for energizingcoils 46 and 51 as well as the source of power supplying the signalmeans, may be as shown in Fig. 4. In this figure a battery 41, groundedat 48, is connected to a step-up transformer generally, indicated at 10.The battery 41 is connected to a movable switch arm 10 which is normallybiased clockwise as seen in Fig. 4, by a spring or other means (notshown). The cam 1| which is adapted to be continuously rotated by a partof the motor, moves switch arm 10 so as to rapidly make and break acircuit between contact 12 and switch arm 1|]. Contact 12 is connecteddirectly to the primary 13 and thence to ground, as indicated at 14. Thesecondary 15 is grounded as indicated at 16 and is connected to coils 46and 51, the arrangement being such that the coils 46 and 51 are inparallel. It will be evident that the current appliedto coils 46 and 51will be high frequency intermittent direct current, which will serve tomaintain the armature 49 in either position, according to which coil isenergized. It will also be evident that the strength of thisintermittent direct current will depend upon the ratio between thenumber of turns in the primary 13 and the secondary 15, and these willbe of course selected so as to apply a signal of suitable strength tothe operator of the vehicle. It will v be recognized also that thestep-up transformer and circuit interrupter indicated generally at 10 inFig. 4 and also indicated in Fig. 1, is or may be, if desired, a portionof the ignition circuit, in which case the cam 1| may be in thedistributor and the secondary 15 may be the secondary of the ignitioncircuit. For simplicity, the drawing is purely diagrammatic and circuitsand connections not necessary to the present invention have beenpurposely omitted.

The armature 49 of the relay is pivotally supported intermediate theends thereof and carries a contact 50 at one end electrically connectedto one of the buttons |3 of the signal, through the medium of aresistance 5|, and adaptedto engage the contact 52 of the coil 46, whenthe latter is energized, to supply electrical energy to the aforesaidbutton I3. The other button l3 of the signal II is grounded, as at 53,so that both contact's must be bridged by the ankle o! the o ator beforethe circuit can be closed.

Assuming that the contact segment moves into engagement with the contactclip 36, it will be noted that a circuit is closed through the coil 46,and energization of the latter causes the contact 50 to engage thecontact 52. When this is accomplished, electrical energy is supplied tothe button l3 on the signal H, and the electrical energy, passes throughthe ankle oi the operator to the ground 53. This, of course, imparts ashock to the operator indicating that he has exceeded the pre-selectedspeed.

Reference has been made to the fact that the intensity of the warningsignal is increased when the speed of the vehicle substantially exceedsthe pre-selected speed. The foregoing is accomplished in the presentinstance by providing a second contact clip 36' secured to the ring 31adjacent the clip 36 and engageable with a second segment 35' secured tothe needle shaft [9 for rotation as a unit with the segment 35. It willbe observed from Figure that the leading edge 55 of the segment 35' isspaced from the corresponding edge of the segment 35 in a direc-- tionopposite the direction of rotation indicated by the arrow 4|. As aconsequence, the segment 35' contacts with the clip 36 after-the clip 35engages the segment 35 to actuate the signal ll. Just prior toengagement of the clip 36 with the contact segment 35, the insulatingring 55 on-the periphery of the segment 35' engages a shoulder 60 formedon the clip 35 and disengages the latter from the segment 35 to breakthe circuit to the signal H. Immediately after the clip 36 is disengagedfrom the segment 35 by the segment 35', an arcuate cam 56 on the frontside of the latter contacts with the clip 36' in the manner shown inFigure 8, and closes a circuit to the coil 51 of a second relay.Energization of thecoil 51 causes the contact 58 on the end of thearmature 49 opposite the end having the contact 50, to engage the coilcontact 59 and supply electrical energy to the same button I3 on thesignal, previously defined as connected to the contact 50. Theresistance 5| in the conductor connecting the contact 50 to this buttoncontact is omitted in the electrical connection of the contact 58 withthe signal, so that a circuit of higher amperage is passed through theoperators ankle when the circuit controlled by the segment 35' and clip36' is closed; This, of course, serves to increase the intensity of thesignal imparted the operator. In either case, however, the current isnot suflicient to startle or confuse the operator.

What I claim as my invention is:

1..In a motor vehicle, means effective when a condition of the vehicleexceeds a predetermined value to pass a relatively low amperage currentthrough a part of the anatomy of the operator of suificient intensity toindicate that the predetermined value is being exceeded, and means forincreasing the amperage as the value of the condition is increased abovethe pre-determined value.

2. In a motor vehicle, a pair of electrical circuits embodying spacedcontacts located in a position to be bridged by a part of the anatomy ofthe operator during manipulation of the vehicle, one of the circuitshaving a resistance therein, switches respectively controlling thecircuits, and means effective when the condition of the vehicle exceedsa predetermined value to successively close the switch controlling thecir- 1 cuits embodying spaced contacts located in a position to bebridged by a part of the anatomy of the operator during manipulation ofthe vehicle, one of the circuits having a resistance therein, switchesrespectively controlling the circuits, means eiiective when a conditionof the vehicle exceeds a predetermined value to close the switchcontrolling the circuit having the resistance therein,,to pass apredetermined current through a part of the operators anatomy and meanseifective as the value of the condition is further increased to closethe switch controlling the other circuit to pass an increased currentthrough a part of the operators anatomy.

4. In a motor vehicle, a pair of electrical circuits embodying spacedcontacts located in a position to be bridged by a part of the anatomy ofthe operator during manipulation of the vehicle, one of the circuitshaving a resistance therein, switches respectively controlling thecircuits, means effective when a condition of the vehicle exceeds apredetermined value to close the switch controlling the circuit havingthe resistance therein to pass a predetermined current through a part ofthe operators anatomy, means eii'ective as the value of the condition isfurther increased to close the switch controlling the other circuit topass an increased current through a part of the operators anatomy, andmeans under the control of the operator for pre-selecting the value ofthe condition at which the switch controlling the circuit having theresistance is closed.

5. A condition signaling apparatus, a member controlling said condition,a plate secured adjacent one side of said member and extending upwardly,said plate adapted to engage an operator, spaced contacts on said plate,a first and second parallel circuit, each including said contacts, aresistance in said first mentioned circuit, condition responsive meansadapted to close said first circuit when said condition attains apredetermined value to warn said operator by electrical shock that saidpredetermined value has been reached, and to close said second circuitwhen said condition attains a second predetermined value higher thansaid first mentioned predetermined value to warn said operator byincreased electrical shockthat said second predetermined value has beenreached.

6. In condition responsive signaling mecha nism in a motor vehicle, acontrol member, a plate secured adjacent to one side of said member,spaced contacts on said plate in a position to engage the operator, acircuit including said contacts, condition responsive means and a switchcontrolled by said means to close the circuit to said contacts when saidcondition is above a predetermined value.

7. In condition responsive signaling mechanism in a motor vehicle, acontrol member, a plate secured adjacent said member, spaced contacts onsaid plate in a position to engage the operator, a first and secondparallel circuit, each including said contacts, said first circuitincluding a resistance therein, condition responsive means adapted toclose said first circuit when said condition is above a predeterminedvalue to signal the operator by a definite electrical shock, and toclose said second circuit when said condition is above a secondpredetermined value greater than said first mentioned value to signalthe operatorby an increased electrical shock.

8. In a motor vehicle, a control member for said vehicle, tactual signalmeans adjacent said control member, means efiective when a condition ofthe vehicle exceeds a predetermined value to operate said tactual signalmeans at a constant intensity, and means efiective when said conditionexceeds a second predetermined value higher than said firstpredetermined value to operate said signal means at an increasedconstant intensity.

* STUART H. CALDWELL.

